State Auditor’s Office Introduces Cardinal Award, Gives Inaugural Recognition to Morganton’s Finance Director
"We want to show our greatest appreciation to citizens of all walks of life who make North Carolina a better place to live." - State Auditor Dave Boliek
RALEIGH, N.C. — State Auditor Dave Boliek is pleased to introduce the Cardinal Award – a special distinction from the State Auditor’s Office bestowed upon North Carolina’s finest individuals. The new award recognizes those who advance government transparency, improve efficiency, and safeguard taxpayer dollars. Recipients exemplify the values of integrity, accountability, and service that the Cardinal Award honors.
“The Cardinal Award is something I wanted to bring to OSA so we can celebrate outstanding individuals in North Carolina who are going above and beyond with their service to the state,” said State Auditor Boliek. “We want to show our greatest appreciation to citizens of all walks of life who make North Carolina a better place to live.”
In honor of her dedicated service to the residents of Morganton, State Auditor Boliek presented Jessie Parris, Finance Director of Morganton, with the first Cardinal Award from the Office of the State Auditor. She was recognized in an official ceremony on Friday, where State Auditor Boliek presented her with the Cardinal Award for her extensive work managing Morganton’s finances during and in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
State Auditor Boliek was joined by Rep. Hugh Blackwell (R-Burke) and Morganton City Manager Sally Sandy.
“At the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, it’s perfectly fitting to applaud Ms. Parris for her behind-the-scenes work in aiding her community through the devastation,” added State Auditor Boliek. “Managing state and federal funding hoops is no easy task, but Ms. Parris stepped up for the people of Morganton.”
As Finance Director, Ms. Parris had a hands-on role with all recovery efforts that involved local, state, and federal funds. This included valuing assets, creating a damage inventory list, working through FEMA regulations, setting up a new capital project fund, and continuing the routine preparations for Morganton’s annual audit. Her work throughout the year has been invaluable to the City of Morganton in its recovery from Hurricane Helene.
“The people who work in local government do it from the heart. They’ve dedicated their lives to public service, and finances is no different,” said Parris. “It’s an honor to serve Morganton and receive this award. I owe a special thanks to the city staff and finance team for all their help in serving the community.”
Are you tired of being bombarded by paywalls and pop-up ads when trying to read the news? Do you believe that access to reliable political news should be free and accessible to everyone? Then we urge you to support NC Political News, a weekly electronic political news outlet.
NC Political News is committed to providing high-quality, unbiased political reporting with columnists from all political sides. Unlike other news outlets, NC Political News is free to read and supported by businesses who purchase ad space on our website and in our newsletter, which goes out Monday through Friday at 7:00 am. This means that readers like you can access the news without being asked to pay a cent or dealing with frustrating advertisements.
However, to continue providing this valuable service, NC Political News needs your support. If you believe in the importance of accessible, free news, we urge you to click the image below. Any amount of support is appreciated.
Together, we can keep the news free and help ensure our state stays informed and connected.
